Comments about the Farnes from an ex-Head Warden who proudly served the islands for fourteen years

Sunday, 7 September 2014

Sylvia Shocker

First Barred Warbler of the autumn (Ed Tooth)

A dead Barred Warbler (Laura Shearer)

Sunday 7th September comments: Migrants have continued to arrive over the weekend although we had the unusual case of a ‘two bird theory’. On the usual birding round of Inner Farne, a skulking Barred Warbler was discovered in the veg garden on the island which remained all morning (our first this autumn). However with the presence of visitors, the bird disappeared and not much more was thought about it.

However later that day a Barred Warbler was found freshly dead under the elder bushes on Inner Farne (a sad demise for such a brute of a visitor). So we thought that was that, the bird had perished and we moved on. But was it? Within twenty minutes the original bird was rediscovered! Re-incarnation? Maybe or a case of two Barred Warblers on Inner Fane, one of which had died.

So the strange and wonderful world of Planet Farnes keep on throwing up surprises…